Hey Everyone! I cannot believe Fé is almost 2 months old! Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday we were cuddling her for the first time in the hospital.

We had a wonderful time celebrating her first christmas with Daniels amazing family in England. We actually told them that we were no longer going to come for Christmas because of all the stuff we had to get done in Holland before we move. Last minute though, Daniel and I decided to go anyway and we totally surprised everyone =) It was so much fun and Christmas ended up being so wonderful.

Now we are back in Holland and I am suffering from some serious Christmas bloating from all of the wonderful things we ate way too much of. How that the Holiday season is winding down and the New Year is approaching, I am officially starting my journey to lose my baby weight!

I didn’t want to start a strict diet too soon after Fé was born because I wanted to establish a solid milk supply and also enjoy time with family and friends in the weeks after Fé’s birth. Now that everything is winding down I am really looking forward to my quest to get back into shape.

I started my pregnancy slightly over weight. When I found out I was pregnant I had just started to try to lose weight but that plan got shot up in the butt during my pregnancy (obviously!) I didn’t gain very much weight during pregnancy, in fact I think I gained around the perfect amount. But now I would like to go past my pre-pregnancy weight and reach my ultimate goal weight! Here are my baby weight statistics!

Baby Weight Stats

Weight before pregnancy: 83 Kg (183 lbs)

Pregnancy weight gain: 11 kg (24 lbs)

40 week pregnancy weight: 94 kg (207 lbs)

Initial weight loss after birth: 8 kg (17 lbs)

Current weight: 86 kg (189.5 lbs)

UPDATE 4/26/17 Current Weight: 79 kg (174 lbs)

Goal weight: 75 kg (165 lbs)

Goal weight loss: 11 kg (24 lbs)

Now that we have my stats down what are yours? Here is my guide to losing my baby weight and reaching my weight loss goals!

1. Set Goals and Make a Plan

Figure out how much you weight and what you want to weigh. Whether you just want to go back to your pre-pregnancy weight or you want to lose even more weight, figure out exactly what that number is. Invest in a smart scale like this one that not only measures your weight, but also your body fat, muscle mass, and more!

Once you have figured that out, set mini goals for yourself! For me, every two kilograms that I lose I either buy myself an article of clothing or pamper myself with a mani/pedi or something else like that! By setting little goals, you are more likely to stick with your plan. Losing 25 lbs can seem daunting and it is easy to give up. But losing 5 lbs seems much more doable! You are more likely to stick with your plan if you set small goals for yourself =)

Here is what my weight loss goals look like written in my Bullet Journal!

2. Cut Calories (but not too much)

Now that you have your plan and your goals you need to start cutting some calories. The important thing about cutting calories when you are breastfeeding is not to cut too much. It is also important to establish a good milk supply before starting a diet plan! Breastfeeding burns a lot of calories, which probably explains why you are hungry ALL THE TIME! In fact, breastfeeding burns about 300-500 extra calories. This is great is you are trying to lose weight.

First, calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate to determine how many calories you consume on a daily basis. Then add 500 calories to this number. That is how many calories you need to eat when you are breastfeeding to maintain your current weight.

To lose weight you need to slowly cut out calories. Try cutting around 300-500 calories to start losing weight. Remember as you lose weight you will need to re-adjust your caloric intake to make sure you continue to lose weight.

Make sure you don’t eat less than 1,800 calories per day to maintain your milk supply 😉

3. Track your food

I find it impossible to keep track of my caloric intake without tracking it. If you don’t write down what you are eating it is so easy to slip in a few extra calories here and there. These extra calories can add up to a few hundred if you are not careful.

I use MyFitnessPal app on my phone to keep track of my food. You customize your profile and they calculate your calories for you! Unfortunately they don’t have an option for breastfeeding moms, but by choosing to maintain your weight in the app you can take in to account the calories you need for breastfeeding while still losing weight. If you want a more traditional way of tracker your calories check out this food journal =)

4. Drink Plenty of Water

Regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight or not, if you are breastfeeding you need to be drinking lots of water! Water is the key to maintaining and building your milk supply so without a proper amount or water you supply will suffer.

Water can also suppress your appetite. Before every meal or whenever you feel a major hunger craving, drink a glass of water. If you still feel hungry afterwards go ahead and eat something healthy!

I LOVE my Nalgene water bottle! I make sure to fill it up three times a day which equals 96 ounces! It’s such an easy way to make sure to drink enough water.

5. Eat smaller more frequent meals

When you are breastfeeding, you will probably feel hungry all the time, I certainly do! In order to maintain your hunger, eat smaller meals more frequently. This way you never go more than a couple of hours without eating something. This will prevent you from binge eating out of total starvation!

It is also important to eat frequently to maintain your milk supply. Waiting too long in between meals can impact your fragile hormonal system which can impact your milk supply.

6. Make healthy choices

A salad or a medium order of fries will probably satiate you the same, but the salad has a lot fewer calories. Focus on making healthy food choices. Eating empty calories like simple carbs and sugars, will only leave you hungry for very little nutritional benefit. by swapping your unhealthy food choices for healthy ones, you may feel like you are eating just as much (or even more) than before but racking up a lot fewer calories at the end of the day. Check out the “Eat This not That” cookbook for a great list of food swaps!

Swap french fries for an apple and a handful of almonds

That morning doughnut for oatmeal and a banana (also great for breastfeeding!)

Eggs and Bacon for an egg white omelet with fresh veggies

Spaghetti Bolognese for steamed veggies, potatoes, and salmon

If you start to focus on eating healthier you may find you have more energy and can even eat more! That sounds like a win win situation to me =)

7. Prepare in advance

By taking a little time every night or once per week you can save a lot of hassle and time during the day. Being a mom is super busy and there are plenty of times when we just don’t have the time to prepare healthy food. It becomes so much more convenient to grab takeout or reach for a candy bar!

To save yourself time and calories try prepping your meals in advance. You can make a whole weeks worth of lunches on a Sunday evening or prepare your meals for the day the night before. Invest in a good set of food storage containers like these ones to make meal prep even more convenient. You will thank yourself for taking a tiny bit of time to save yourself a lot of time later!

8. Exercise!

By exercising you can burn off those extra calories that can give you an edge when it comes to losing weight. With a new baby, however, finding time to exercise can seem impossible! Try squeezing in a walk with your baby or a quick abs routine when your little one is finally down for a nap.

It is important to wait at least six weeks postpartum before starting an exercise regime to allow your body to properly recover from childbirth! Also make sure to consult your doctor and get the green light before you start working out again. Once you have the green light, go slow! Your body has just gone through some major trauma and it’s not going to be able to do the same things you could do before.

You could also pop in some workout DVD’s like these ones. I LOVE workout DVD’s, they are so easy to do when the baby is sleeping or when you have just a little bit of time to workout.

9. Take it slow

Remember that it took nine months to grow your baby and it will probably take around nine months to fully recover as well. Take is slow! By trying to lose weight quickly you can really throw your milk supply out of whack! the key to losing weight while breastfeeding is to take it slow. Focus on one pound at a time and the weight will eventually fall off.

10. Find support

Having someone around who supports you and encourages you can really be the key to your weight loss success. I am so lucky that my husband is so supportive and encouraging. He really helps me stay on track when I feel like giving up. Talk to your husband or partner, or just find another mom friend who can keep you accountable.

Good Luck on your weightloss journey! Be sure to check the blog for more mommy weight loss tips and support =)

Sources: http://www.thebump.com/a/lose-weight-breastfeeding

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Hey! My name is Leigh and thanks for visiting my site! I am a Millennial Mommy trying to figure out this whole 'motherhood' thing one blog post at a time! Join me as I navigate motherhood to my toddler girl and marriage to my handsome Dutch man!

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